


The Warmth of Snow

by Bazylia_de_Grean



Series: Adra Bán [12]
Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-01 22:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16774579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/pseuds/Bazylia_de_Grean
Summary: “She wasn’t the thaynu, then. She didn’t have enemies.”“She didn’t need any when she had me," Thaos reminds quietly.“Yes. Yes, that’s true.” Suddenly her hand is at his throat, nails digging into the skin lightly enough not to even leave traces – but it is a reminder that her palms can easily turn into stelgaer’s clawed paws. “All the more reason not to trust your choice, wouldn’t you say?”





	The Warmth of Snow

**Author's Note:**

> (Written for a prompt from the 'sensory prompts' set on tumblr, thrown at me by Pyritea: Snow being shoved down the back of your coat.)

“I’m going to kill you,” Tegwen hisses. “So if you have any explanation, better give it now.” She is not holding any weapons – not even her hunting knife – but she grimaces in a way that lets light gleam on her teeth, reminding that she does not need anything else.

Thaos looks at her calmly. “She didn’t have you to approve of her pets through all of her travels…”

“Not all of them, _brîshalgwin_.” There is a spark in her eyes that goes beyond warning; he has offended her by suggesting there was a time she was not there for Eidis.

He is not afraid… but it would be unwise to underestimate her. She might be impulsive, but never thoughtless, and she can be dangerous.

“That’s not what I meant.” Thaos raises his hands in a pacifying gesture. “Just that she can choose her pets herself.”

The druid huffs. “She wasn’t the thaynu, then. She didn’t have enemies.”

“She didn’t need any when she had me,” he reminds quietly.

Tegwen calms down, taken aback by his honesty. “Yes. Yes, that’s true.” Suddenly her hand is at his throat, nails digging into the skin lightly enough not to even leave traces – but it is a reminder that her palms can easily turn into stelgaer’s clawed paws. “All the more reason not to trust _your_ choice, wouldn’t you say?”

“Tegwen.” Thaos sighs in exasperation. He is not going to fight her; in a way, he appreciates how protective she is of Eidis, and her distrust of him is nothing but sensible… But he wishes Eidis no harm; he never really did. “Look.”

The druid turns, dark curls moving around her head like a storm cloud.

Eidis is in the courtyard with Ailsa Forwyn, the guard captain’s daughter, almost old enough to become a soldier herself. There are two wurms rolling in the snow at their feet and flapping their wings and playfully biting the fur at the hem of Eidis’ cloak. The third wurm – the smallest and the youngest – is trying to drape itself over her shoulders, burrowing into her woollen shawl and getting snow all over her clothes. Eidis cries out quietly as some of the snow gets under the collar of her robes, and then laughs – giggles like a carefree girl.

It hurts him to hear that, but he welcomes the pain. She has had so few opportunities to be joyful and happy, to enjoy small silly things that seem to brighten her life so much…

Tegwen watches, too. She is not smiling, but her expression softens. “You’re forgiven,” she mutters under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear. “This time,” she adds, because she has to have the last word in every argument.

Eidis strokes the wurm’s tiny head, and then hands the pet over to Ailsa. It squeals in protest, and tries to wriggle free from the girl’s hands. Eidis pets it again, still laughing. “Oh, hush. Mum has to change before she catches a cold.”

“Your fault, little one,” Ailsa adds. “Oh, already missing mum, are we? We’ll get you nice and dry and you can sleep under her desk later, what about that?” She pins the wurm against her chest and smiles up at Eidis. “It really likes you. Tegwen bought him, didn’t she?”

“She wouldn’t tell me.” Eidis smiles. “No, stay,” she says sternly to the wurm, and then, as it whines, she picks it up again. “All right, little one. But be a good boy and sit still?” Her voice is warm, and she must be using her cipher skills as well, because the wurm nuzzles her shoulder and calms down. “Just like that.” She scratches its head. “Now come on, mum needs dry clothes.”

Tegwen watches as Eidis walks away and disappears into the keep. “You chose it?” she asks incredulously, glancing at Thaos from under arched eyebrows. “How? You know nothing about animals.”

“No. But I assumed you were right when you said they know something about people.” He smiles wryly. “I bought the one that tried to bite my fingers off.”


End file.
